Steam-generator for locomotive service.



0 Patented May 20, I902. C. H. FOX; STEAM GENERATOR FOR LOGOMOTIVESERVICE.

(Application filed July 18, 1901.)

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0. H. Fox. STEAM GENERATOR FOB LBCOMOTIVE SERVICE,

(Application filed July 18, 1901.)

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No. 700,320. P a'tented May 20, I902. 'c. mro'x. STEAM GENERATOR FOBLUCUMUTJVE SERVICE.

(Application filed July 18, 1901.) 0

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CHARLES-II. FOX,OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

STEAMQG EN ERATOR FOR LOCQMOTIVE SERVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Nd. 700,320, dated May 20,1 902. Application filed July 18,1901- Serial No. 68,787. (No model.)

- To all whom, itmay cozwern:

Be it known that I, OHAR L'ES H. FOX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the county of-Ha'miltonand State of Ohio,have invented new and usefulImprovements in Steam-Generators forLocomotive 1aervice, of which the following is a specifica- My inventionrelates to steam-generators of the class used in locomotiveservice, itsobject being to producea generator adapted to the presentarrangementoffcylinders, underframing, wheels, andma'chine'ry and whichshall embody and combine with the fire-box discharging through'submergedhorizontal fines into the smoke-arch a system of watercirculating tubeswhereby the heating-surface is largely increased and the generalcirculation of water from end to end of the boiler directly stimulated.These being the main objects of my invention, the'construction in whichthey are attained embodies certain further advantages which addmaterially to the efticiency of the generator as a whole, both inrespect to its steamingcapa'city and its better adaptation to theconditions of railway service. The fire-box is relatively'increased incapacity (insuring more complete initial combustion) and the smoke-tubescorrespondingly shortened, an arrangement which adds to the efiiciencyof both and permits'the insertion of a system of independently-removablewatertube units in and as part of the fire-box heating-surface, which inno way detracts from or interferes with the ordinary functions of thefire-box. These tube units are suspended in the fire-box area in aninclined position, approximately vertical, and connect for cir culationwith the forward and lower part of the boiler in frontand at rear, atthe upper part of the fire-box jacket, discharging upon and over thecrown-sheet an advantageous arrangement in respect to the circulationand also facilitating repairs, &c., all" as will be more fullyexplained. I

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is an axial fore andaft vertical section of the generator complete, omitting all extraneousfeatures, such as steam-dome,pipes,&c. ,common to such structures. Fig.2 is a one-half front or end view showing the position and relation ofthe usual smoke-fines. Fig.3?v is a detail of the construction andjoining of the rear flue-sheet of the cylinder end of the boiler withthe ring boundingtheupperfopening of the fire-box. Figs. 4,iand 5Sheetf'2, are side elevations and perspective elevations, respectively,of the boiler designedto show more particularly the of the locomotivetype, differing but little from the ordinary forms, excepting in thefore and aft enlargement and structural features of the fire-box A, theshortening of thecylindrical portion B, and the mode of junction betweenthe two.

The forward cylindrical portion B of the boiler is of the usualconstruction, having a series of parallel smoke-fines b occupying thespace below the water-line to, extending to and through a frontpartition I) and a rear partition b, which latter constitutes the frontinner wallof the fire-box'A.

The fire-box A is somewhat higher than usual and is elongated fore andaft, its outer shell being joined to the cylindrical shell of the partJB by inclined converging sheets above and below, forming an inclosingshell of irregular shape, (indicated in Figs. 1,

4, and 5,) having ,the usuaLgrate-opening n below and a largerectangular opening above fitted with a cover a. The latteropening has ariveting-ring?" of' re ctangular" form and bent out of arightplane toaccommodate the incline of the top of the, fire-box'forward, The innerand outer sheets of the fire-box are riveted together through theintervening ring in the usual manner. The inner shell of the fire-boxbounds an inclosed area of substan tially the same form as that boundedby the outer shell, the two walls constituting a wa ter jacketsurrounding the combustionchamber, the crown-sheet a of which ispreferably arched crosswise and inclined downward toward the rear, whilethe corresponding outer sheet at the top of the fire-box may becontinued backward from the ring in a horizontal plane or at a slightdeclivity.

The front inner wall of the fire-box, as already intimated, constitutesthe rear tubesheet b of the cylindrical part of the boiler, but is notconnected with the cylindrical part of the boiler except by thesmoke-flues b. It consists of a flange-sheet Z2 (shown in Fig. 3,)attached above to the ring 1" at the sides to the inner side sheet ofthe fire-box and at the bottom to a rear extension-sheet I), which isultimately connected to the ring 1* of the grate-openi ng. In theinterior space of the firebox is mounted a series 0 of tube units, (socalled,) each consisting of parallel tubes 0 of uniform length arrangedin a common plane and opening at their ends into headers c c at top andbottom. Each tube unit consists of two parallel headers e at the top andc at the bottom, united by aplurality of tubes 0, arranged parallel toeach other and perpendicular to the headers in the common axial plane ofthe headers. The headers are enlarged tubes, preferably of rectangularcross-section, into which the connecting-tubes enter, as indicated inthe detail section Fig. 7. In the upper header 0 opposite eachconnecting-tube is a corresponding aperture normally closed by removablescrew-plugs o", the removal of which gives access to eachconnecting-tube for the insertion of a cleaning-rod when necessary. Theforward end of each lower header 0 is likewise provided with an apertureand a screw-plug c for a similar purpose.

The tube units are arranged side by side in parallel series across thetire-box space, the upper headers having a resting support in frontagainst a strong cross brace or beam f, bolted at each end to the innerside sheets of the fire-box A, the units being set sufficiently high toleave space below for the fuel upon the grate covering the opening y,the tubes 0 themselves being inclined forward above and the headersupward from front to rear, so that the fire-space beneath the tube unitsis deeper in rear than in front. Each tube unit communicates at theforward end of its lower header by a pipe connection (1' with the frontleg of the water-jacket of the fire-box just in rear of the cylindricalend B of the boiler, while the upper headers are similarly provided atrear by a pipe connection (1 with the water-jacket at the upper rearportion of the fire-box just over the forward and upper end of theinclined crown-sheet a All the pipe connections are so constructed as toallow the insertion and removal of any one of the tube unitsindependently of the others at any time. I prefer to connect the pipeconnections (1 with the inner shell of the boiler by the usual method ofradial expansion by suitable expansion tools inserted through pluggedopenings 0 in the outer shell, which openings also permit theapplication of a cleaning-rod to the lower headers when necessary. Theupper connections 61* are preferably made by cutting a long thread onthe pipes d-,wl1ereby they may be screwed through the bOllGD-SllGllbeyond the normal position, and then the pipes are screwed forward intotheir seats in the header, and a loose jam-nut c on the pipe connectionis screwed against the side of the shell.

The tube units are set alternately at different elevations,principally,in this instance, to allow them tobe brought very closetogether in series, yet not crowd the apertures in the boiler-shell. Theinclination of the headers upwardly at rearis taken advantage of toplace refractory tiles 6 between the adjacent units of the lower seriesand resting upon the ledges formed by the headers, as shown in Fig. 6,thus closing the open space of the bottom to a large extent andconverting the bottom of the entire system of units into a baflie-plate,which deflects the gases of combustion in the first instance rearwardand upward around the bottom headers, whence they pass forward betweenand at right angles to the water-tubes into the smokeilues b. Thewater-tube units may be introduced from above through the rectangularopening at the top of the fire-box or from below through thegrate-opening. Access to the screw-plugs of the upper headers may be hadby removing the cover plate or plates a.

The inclined front of the system of watertube units also produces anangular free space widest below at the interior front lower part of thefire-box. The outer and inner sheets of the water-j acket at this pointare joined to a circular manhole-frame sufficiently large to permitaccess to the rear partition or tubesheet Z1 of the cylindrical 'part ofthe boiler for inspection or repairs. The manhole thus formed may befitted with a funnel-shaped extension 9 to serve as a catch-basin forcinders and provided with a suitable gate or discharge-registcr.

In operation the boiler is governed by the conditions usual inlocomotive service, excepting only as modified by the water-tubeportion, which action is as follows: Water enters freely at the lowerconnection of the tube units and is carried upward by theeirculation-currents induced by the action of heat on the outer surfaceof the tubes. The currents thus set up carry the Water above the normalwater-line 0c and discharge at the highest point of the tube units atthe rear pipe connections (Z of the upper headers over and upon thecrown-sheet a where the discharge of steam and entrained water isdirected against a deflecting-plate a so placed and formed as to carrywater downward and distrib ute the same uniformly over the crownsheetover which it flows down to the normal water-line.

In order to keep the inclined crown-sheet constantly flooded, andthereby protect it from injury from overheating, the flow is partiallyguided and obstructed by side dams h and one or more cross-dams 71.,arranged in and the upper portions of said tubes and the upper headersbeing above the normal water level, and the lower headers communicatingwith the water-space and the upper headers communicating with thesteam-space of the boiler. Y

2. In a steam-boiler of ordinarylocomotive type; the combination, withthe fire-box of an inclined crown-sheet extending above the normalwater-line, and a series of vertical or inclined water-tubes placedwithin the firebox the lower ends of the tubes in communication with thewater-jacket of the fire-box and the upper terminals of same arranged todischarge upon and down the crown-sheet for the purpose of protectingsame from the action of heat, substantially as set forth.

3. In a steam-boiler of the ordinary locomotive type; the combination ofan inclined crown-sheet extending above the normal water-level withtransverse and longitudinal dam-plates erected thereon and preferablyforming a part of the bracing thereof, for the purpose of entrappingthereon a portion of the water discharged upon the upper end of thecrown-sheet and flowing down over the same, substantiallyas set forth.

4. In a steam-boiler of the locomotive type; the combination of afire-box; a series of vertical or inclined water-tubes housed therein; amanhole between the said series ofwatertubes and the rear tube-sheet,and a pocket inclined water-tubes attachedas part of thesteam-generatingapparatus, substantially as set forth.

6. In a steam-boiler of the modified type hereinbefore described, thecombination of a water and steam jacketed fire-box; a series of inclinedwater-tubes accessible at the top, through an opening piercing theboiler; aremovable cover-plate over said opening; a system ofwater-tubes extending above and below the normal water-line andcommunicating with the steam and water spaces of the boilerrespectively; a bafile-plate for deflecting the entrained water carriedthereby u'pward into the steam-space; a cylindrical forward extensioncontaining the usual smokeflues and joined to the front leg of thefire-box a manhole provided at the lower part ofthe shell near itsjuncture with the fire-box; smaller openings or hand-holes in the leg ofthe boiler. for giving access to the interior of the tube-sectionsconstructed and arranged as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

7. In a fire-box boilerof the type indicated; a fire-box provided with asystem of independent laterally-adjacent tube units each consisting ofupper and lower headers connected by a series of parallel tubes in thecommon axial plane of the headers, each upper header connected at oneend with the steam-space and each lower header beingconnected at therelatively opposite end with the water-space, in'combination with aforward extension of the boiler provided with submerged fiuescommunicating with the combustion-chamber of the fire-box,substantiallyas set forth.

8. In a fire-box boiler of the type indicated, a fire-box provided witha system of laterallyadjacent tube units inclined forward and connectingabove .and below to the steam and water spaces of the fire-box, and aseries of refractory plates or tiles carried between and upon the lowerheaders of the tube units, con- 4 stituting with said headers abaffle-plate tocarry the initial products of combustion backward andthence upward around the rear ends of the headers, and thence forwardacross and between the tubesto the smoke-flues-ofthe forward cylindricalextensionof the boiler,

nesses.

CHARLES H. FOX.

\Vitnesses:

WALTER A. KNIGHT, LLOYD T. BRUNSON.

